


Gold in the Air

by gin_tonic



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: snape_potter, M/M, Summer of Snarry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-01
Updated: 2012-08-01
Packaged: 2017-11-15 00:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/521350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gin_tonic/pseuds/gin_tonic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus has finally built up a comfortable life and his content to spend his days brewing and drinking tea (and the occasional brandy). Naturally, fate has different plans with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gold in the Air

**Author's Note:**

> Many, many thanks go to roozette for beta-reading this (especially because it was on short notice). ♥ ♥ ♥

  
Two years after the war, Severus had finally built up a comfortable life. No pesky students, a business that was based on owl-deliveries that allowed him to have little to no customer interaction, and a cottage near the sea to offer the maximum of tranquillity. Life, finally, was good.

Spring had come and gone with much rain and had given way to summer – a season Severus would have liked to skip for more moderate temperatures. A cooling charm in place, short-lived as it was, Severus made his way into town to buy that week's necessities. Tea, shortbread biscuits, some vegetables and maybe even a good piece of beef were on his list.

The town was swamped with tourists – an unavoidable evil during these months. Severus counted himself lucky not to live in Ryde, which was even more popular with those red-skinned, sun-crazed fools. Sidestepping a fellow of that sort, who had already started drinking a good long while ago, he walked into a small grocery story. Tesco's had not yet managed to take this one over and he hoped it would stay that way.

Severus followed strict patterns when he went to a shop. In this one, he started near the bread and liquor, and then moved over to the dairy products and basic groceries such as flour and noodles. He saved vegetables and fruit for last before moving to the cashier. Today, though, a tourist blocked his access to the milk and had to be snarled out of the way, before Severus – already at the end of his patience – spotted a mop of hair near the cucumbers that made his cheek twitch. Potter.

"You have ten seconds to explain what you are doing here and how you found me before I hex your bits off." Severus took pleasure in Potter dropping his cucumber and the fact that Potter even let out a shriek as he whirled around was incredibly satisfying. Miraculously, there was no wand pointed at Severus. How the blasted boy had ever survived the war was a puzzle to Severus.

"Snape!"

"So you haven't forgotten my name. I am thrilled. And your ten seconds are up."

"Wait. What?"

Severus moved around him and started looking at the vegetables that were on offer. Maybe Potter would just give up if Severus ignored him. It worked with cats, after all.

"Professor, I –"

Severus lifted a tomato and gently squeezed it. Technically, it was not a vegetable, but the owner still put them beneath the 'Vegetables' sign, no matter how many times Severus protested.

"I didn't know you'd be here, Professor, I swear. I just came here to relax. Hermione and Ginny kind of made me, to be honest. Said we should take a time out – but I wanted to be alone for once. I mean, in the last couple of years I shared a tiny tent and an overcrowded dorm with other people and the room-sharing wouldn't stop if I went away with Ginny, Ron and Hermione, or if I stayed at the Weasleys'. So I just picked a town at the beach – well, Ginny picked it, said it was nice here – and booked a room in a hotel."

Potter was babbling – no surprise there – but he didn't seem to notice Severus' subtle signs to leave him the bloody fuck alone. Left with no choice but to engage again, Severus turned his head, sent his best glare at Potter and snarled: "Bugger off, Potter." And with that, he left.

 

******

 

The incessant knocking on his door wouldn't go away, even though Severus had several Muggle repellents and a protection spell against people who wished him harm in place. This meant that, while no obvious threat, whoever was at the door wouldn't go away on their own. Severus had to take care of the matter by himself. Severus ripped the door open and found Potter – naturally! – standing in front of it. How he had ever actually believed Potter would leave him in peace, he couldn't remember. Maybe he'd been delusional from the lack of afternoon tea. "How did you find me?" he snarled as he glowered down at Potter.

"I just asked the local kids where the scary bastard lived," Potter said and shrugged, grinning. Severus moved to smack the door into Potter's face, but a lean, nicely muscled arm (What the hell?! Severus had clearly spent too much time in the sun lately.) shot out and caught the door. "I don't mean to intrude –"

"But you are." Severus crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Very much so."

"Please." Potter wrung his hands. "I haven't seen you since your trial."

So this was what this was all about. "You came here so you could hear me say, 'Thanks'?!"

"No!" Potter shook his head vehemently. "I just… I haven't seen you in such a long time and I… well. I guess I just wanted to catch up."

"Catching up, Potter, is what you do with your peers. I however –"

"Professor, please. You've been an important –"

"What?" Potter had the grace to blush. Well, at least something made this conversion enjoyable.

"It's just that you are way more important than most of my classmates. Sure, they were there and fought side by side with me, but… Well. It's just not the same."

Severus rolled his eyes, but opened his door. "One cup of tea and then you won't bother me again." He'd answer the boy's questions and assure him that there was no guilt he had to carry around – because Potter would surely return if Severus didn't do so. He wouldn't do it to be nice, but to get rid of Potter. And after tea he'd kick Potter out and return to his nice and quiet life.

Potter agreed. Severus should have known it was a lie, because Potter returned and then Severus ran into Potter twice while he stayed in town that summer. Once, Potter wasn't wearing anything but his swimming trunks and didn't even have the grace to be embarrassed by it. And Severus did have to admit that Potter certainly wasn't too scrawny anymore – he was still a runt and had awful hair and still looked somewhat underfed, despite Molly Weasley's efforts – but he definitely was not much more than a boy.

 

******

 

Summer finally gave way to autumn – blessed, blessed autumn with its cooler temperatures and herbs and rare potion ingredients growing in the moors – and then to winter. Severus didn't care too much for winter either, especially not for Christmas with its enforced cheer. He didn't mind evenings in front of the fireplace so much, tea with brandy on the little table next to him and a good book in his hands, but the rest of it was just dreadful. Albus had always loved Christmas and those ridiculous hats he had made everyone wear.

Just before Christmas Eve, an owl dropped off a small roll of parchment. Seeing as it could have been an express order for a potion, Severus opened it, only to find it was some sort of a Christmas card of all things. From Potter.

_Dear Sir,  
I hope you are well. I know this must sound perfectly weird, coming from me, but I just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas. I don't even know if you celebrate, but I wanted to say it nevertheless._

_I am doing well and have just started an apprenticeship at St. Mungo's. The work is exhausting, but fun and rewarding. Everyone else is doing great, too. Hermione is studying about five university subjects at the same time and I'm sure at least three of those are not Muggle. Ron is working with George for now and Ginny has scored a place with the Holyhead Harpies._

_Happy Christmas again and Happy New Year.  
Harry Potter_

Severus scoffed – as if he had wanted to read about those brats and their little lives – and threw the letter into the fire. Blasted boy. He hoped he would never hear from Potter again.

 

******

 

When summer came again, Severus had just perfected his own version of a cooling charm. It would last longer, keep his home nice and cool, and insure the quality of his potions. And it allowed him to enjoy a hot cup of tea despite the heat.

A knock on his door shook him out of his reverie and he went to answer it with a frown on his face. Something in the back of his mind told him he should have expected to find Potter standing in front of the door. For a moment, Severus was speechless. Not only because Potter's shoulders had broadened and looked a little more like a grown-up, but because Severus certainly hadn't thought he'd ever see him again. Hadn't he done everything to ensure just that?

"Hullo, Sir."

"You again." Severus considered giving closing the door a go, but Potter would probably find a way to make him keep it open. He could just as well give up and let him enter – maybe he'd get rid of him quicker that way. Severus stepped aside and let a surprised Potter inside. Potter looked around curiously and Severus quickly walked around him and led him into the kitchen. "What do you want?"

"I actually came to ask you if you would like to have a cup of coffee with me."

"I'd rather dissect myself than doing that or anything of that liking." Severus pretended that there wasn't a pot of tea on the kitchen table. After all, he hadn't brewed it with Potter in mind.

"So you don't like coffee?"

Severus stared at Potter. He couldn't believe Potter's cheek. Nor could he believe that Potter wasn't afraid of him anymore, despite his best efforts. He tried once more to scowl Potter into the ground, but Potter only smiled at him like the imbecile that he was. There was not really much that Severus could do (apart from hexing Potter, and he was quite sure this wouldn't go over too well) save from pointing at the chairs. He took the seat opposite of Potter and poured himself a cup of tea. Potter would just have to fend for himself.

"I suspect you want to chatter about your life now."

"And yours too."

Merlin help him. Potter was treating him like he was something of a _friend_. Gone were the blessed days of being feared, of being respected and hated. Worst of all, Severus couldn't even come up with an insult that would just shut Potter up and make him leave crying. Instead, he found himself to be ever so slightly curious.

"I broke up with Ginny," Potter finally blurted. Severus raised his eyebrows. That was something he hadn't expected. Truth to be told, he had expected Potter to behave like his father and mother and marry young. Not that he condoned such foolish behaviour, really, but people often did stupid things when they were young. Besides, Potter had always been so eager to fit into the Weasley family that Severus was a little surprised that Potter hadn't already spawned a couple of red-haired, glasses-wearing brats.

"Oh?" Better to be non-committal and not encourage Potter to launch into a long tale.

Unfortunately Potter seemed to be very intent on giving him one. "Yes, well, it just didn't work out, you know? It's not her fault, of course, but rather mine. Kind of." Potter ran a hand through his hair and Severus wanted to smack him and tell him to stop it. He was already looking dishevelled enough. "I really wanted it to work out, but I just… I'm not into girls. Like, at all."

Severus rolled his eyes. "So?" Merlin help him, Potter was honestly coming out to him. He had certainly not asked for any of this. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I just wanted you to know."

"Why?"

Potter shrugged. "Because I want people that are important to me to know."

Severus couldn't keep himself from gasping sharply. Maybe he could just ignore what Potter had just said. It was for the best, because he really had no idea what to make of it. He didn't even know whether he wanted to be included into the group of people who was important to Potter. Then again, the thought was also a little becoming. Only a little, of course. "Welcome to the club then." Severus raised his cup of tea, then realised what he had said and _just_ resisted the urge to wipe that particular moment from Potter's memory. Especially because Potter was staring at him with wide eyes and he was _blushing_. What in every bloody bleeding hell was going on? Now Severus couldn't resist checking the tea for mind-altering substances. But the only thing that was wrong with the tea was that it had grown a little cold.

"What? I. You are -?" Potter was babbling again. Could he really not do anything else?

"Yes, yes, I am gay." Severus rolled his eyes. "Can we please come to the reason of your visit?"

Potter swallowed visibly. The blush on his face stayed. "Well, like I said: I wanted to invite you for a cup of coffee. As to why I'm in town, I really liked it here last year, so I came back. I even got the same room again."

"Good for you."

Potter cleared his throat. Why was the blush spreading? "It's in that little hotel down by the pier. The Gladstone Inn. Room 7."

Severus shrugged. Whatever. Potter had already told him the big news Severus had known Potter wanted to get out. His curiosity was sated, he was sure of it. Mostly.

"I'll be here for another eight days. So…"

Severus looked at the clock on the wall. He'd had planned to finish reading his book today, but the way things were going he would only get half-way there. "Yes, fine. You may come by again if you finally leave me alone for today. I have some brewing to finish," he said. A little lie had never hurt anybody.

Potter looked at him, a little taken aback, but then Potter's weird, broad grin – the one that spread over his face and made him look even more ridiculous – reappeared on his face. "Great!" Yes, great. Severus would finally have the chance to enjoy his afternoon in peace and quiet.

 

******

 

Two days later Severus allowed Potter back into his home. Potter, that bastard, already had a tan and was looking strangely… alright. Alright, and that was it. Granted, now that he had filled out a bit, his trousers seemed to fit him a little better – not that Severus was checking him out – but that barely made him passable.

Potter also brought a bag with pastries along, which made his visit a lot more pleasant. Potter nattered on about things that Severus didn't care about – Arthur's new plug collection, that Granger had voiced her intent to make an honest man out of Potter's Weasley friend and that Longbottom actually was opening a nursery soon. Severus didn't listen, for the most part, and just stared. If – if! – his eyes had rested a little more on Potter's face than usually warranted, it was pure coincidence. Potter's babbling was just slowly frying his brain. There surely wasn't anything else to it.

 

******

 

October.

_Dear Sir,  
I hope you are well. I thought I'd send you a letter earlier than Christmas this time. I'm sure you are just waiting for news of my life._

_I know I told you about my apprenticeship at St. Mungo's. Well, I'll be beginning my first year of actually treating patients tomorrow and to be honest I'm a bit nervous. For the most part until now I just observed and studied. And while there will be healers and mediwitches and –wizards watching and guiding me along, I am afraid I might botch a spell or hurt someone. I'm telling myself everything will be fine, but…_

_No, screw that. If you were here you'd probably make fun of me right about now. Or from the get-go. Anyway, I'll take a deep breath now, go to bed and get to work tomorrow. And it will be okay._

_I'm not quite sure why I'm telling you all this, but it feels kind of right. Like you are supposed to know.  
Thank you for reading this far._

_Goodnight,  
Harry Potter_

Severus rolled his eyes at the letter. He moved to throw it into the fireplace, but somehow the letter ended up in a drawer of his sideboard. Giving the drawer a good glare before he moved off, Severus felt a bit better.

 

******

 

November.

_Dear Sir,  
Again, a letter before Christmas. I hope it found you well – I never heard back from you after the last one. But I ordered a set of potions in the name of St. Mungo's, just to make sure that you were alive, and was glad to have them arrive soon after._

Severus blinked in surprise. Potter, being sneaky? Potter had definitely needed some form of cunning to pull it off, especially without Severus noticing. Well, he had to give Potter credit where it was due. Five seconds later, he was done with it and moved on to read the rest of the letter.

_Ginny is talking to me again, but Ron still isn't. Apart from that my life is pretty uneventful these days – I spend most of it at St. Mungo's. Hey, maybe, if you are in London one of these days, you could drop by and we could have a cup of coffee. Or tea, in your case._

_Yours,  
Harry Potter_

Almost automatically, Severus put the letter into the drawer. Then he stared at the drawer and at his hands in shock. What the hell was going on?! Never before had he saved a former student's mail. Because despite how much he had abhorred those sniffling, pimply little fools at Hogwarts and how much he had actually _shown_ it, some had actually written him. Much like Potter, only using more heart-drawings and simpering. Their letters had been properly burned before Severus had even gotten as far as line three. But not Potter's letters.

Severus shook his head at himself. He must be getting sentimental. Quickly, he strode to his lab and started looking in his books for a potion that would cure this particular malady. Preferably before he started having the urge to write back to Potter.

 

******

 

Sure enough, Potter sent him a Christmas card. It was signed with 'Harry', no last name. Severus' lips thinned at the presumptuousness and he set to write him a letter that was addressed to 'Potter' and signed with Severus' full name.

Potter insisted on sending more letters through the rest of winter and through spring, each getting more cheery and more personal. And each was signed with 'Harry' only. Severus found it annoying, yet reading them became amusing somehow. By June, he found himself almost looking forward to receiving another one of Potter's missives. Yet none came.

He considered owling St. Mungo's to see if Potter was still alive, even considered owling Potter directly, but couldn't bring himself to do it. If Potter stopped writing to him, he surely had good reason to. He probably had found something – or someone – else to entertain him. Possibly a tanned hunk – or, seeing as this was Great Britain, a pale yet broad-shouldered Scot. Or maybe Potter had settled for Charlie Weasley, who wasn't Scottish, but fairly broad-shouldered. And he had red hair.

Severus didn't know why that thought bothered him so much. After all, he wasn't interested in Potter. He liked his life as it was and he didn't want to make any changes to it. Especially not to make room for someone like Potter. Severus snorted at himself. The whole thing was completely preposterous.

And yet… And yet. Well. Potter had already made room for himself. Slowly, but surely, he'd integrated himself into Severus' life, even if only has his summer visitor and his pen friend. Made Severus voluntarily think about him – and not only to curse the day Potter had been born. To have that change back so quickly to how it had been before didn't sit well with Severus. Change again.

Severus kicked himself, hard enough to cause a bruise, and went into his lab. There were potions waiting to be made. They would serve well to occupy him until this madness went away. Maybe, if he concentrated enough he wouldn't have to think about how Potter's brown skin looked and how sinfully Potter's hipbones showed when he wasn't wearing anything but his swimming trunks.

 

When someone knocked at his door at the end of July, Severus kept himself from ripping open the door. He went there with measured steps, stood calmly for a while and told himself quietly to stop being so ridiculous. He'd make Potter wait just to show him that he didn't wait for Potter to come by. Because it could only be Potter – no-one else had knocked at his door these past two years. After two minutes of pensive waiting, Severus finally opened the door but didn't manage to keep the scowl he'd planned in place. And he knew – he was positive, really – that he had looked somewhat friendly.

"Long time no see!" Potter exclaimed happily and marched into Severus' home without waiting for an invitation. Severus couldn't bring himself to snap at Potter.

"Indeed."

 

******

 

"You really should call me Harry." Potter told him as soon as Severus had shut the door behind him with a bang. "I thought you got that from when I signed my letters with my first name."

"Do come in, Potter." Potter was awfully cheery again and Severus wondered if Charlie Weasley or any other random hunk had anything to do with that. Severus sniffed. "I don't just presume." Harry. Using his first name sounded foreign even when Severus only used it in his head. He shuddered at the thought of having it roll over his tongue, but couldn't tell if it was anticipation or disgust that caused the sentiment. It was positively ridiculous. So what if he was offered to refer to Potter – Harry – by his first name? It didn't mean anything. Besides, the idea of him and Harry was absolutely ludicrous. Harry was most likely not even thinking along these lines and… No, Severus would not go down that road. He was the grown up here – No, that wasn't right either. They were both grown up – oh so very much grown up – but Severus was the senior man in this and he had to make sure nothing untoward would happen. It wasn't even that he very much cared for other people's opinion, but this was Lily's son, for Merlin's sake! His former student – and that was so many shades of wrong that Severus couldn't even tell anymore. Besides, there was still the matter of the unknown hunk. Maybe if he could steer the conversation into another direction…

"Well, you can presume. Severus."

Oh dear. Severus cleared his throat. He'd never been a man to just give in to his physical needs, but now, sitting there with a very fit (albeit still slightly runty) Harry, Severus couldn't help but reflect upon how long it had been since he had fucked a man. Too long, definitely.

 

******

 

As they waited for water to heat for the tea, they sat at the table and stared into space. Or Severus did, at least. He didn't know what he should talk about – they weren't friends, not in the classical sense. Sure, he'd answered some of Harry's – just when had he given up on using 'Potter'? – letters, but he'd never had the urge to spill all his secrets, tell Harry about his innermost thoughts. That was Harry's idea of written conversation, not his. And how could their relationship be classified, anyway? The thought had kept Severus busy for a while now, even before Harry had stopped writing to him. This brought him back to that particular matter.

Before he could dwell on the thought, the kettle whistled and Severus got up to pour hot water over the tealeaves into the tea pot. "Haven't you found someone by now?" Severus couldn't believe the question had just come out of his mouth and quickly clamped it shut before anything else could be said out loud. He put the pot on the table, but didn't sit down again.

Harry shrugged and looked up at Severus. "I did go on dates, you know. I just... well. None of them was you." Harry blushed, but held Severus' look (which was, admittedly, somewhat wide-eyed).

"Pardon, what was that?"

"I…" Harry ran a hand through his hair and Severus could see that Harry's blush had spread up to the top of his head. "How about we have that cup of coffee that I keep asking you about?" Blinking at the pot of tea, he quickly added: "Outside, in a café, I mean. Or maybe we could have dinner."

"I… what?" Was Harry really suggesting what he was hearing? He possibly couldn't be serious. Yet at the same time, Severus was certain that Harry wasn't fooling around. He could read the boy – no, strike that. He definitely was a man by now. But Severus couldn't accept. It was improper. It was… "I will think about it."

"Really? Awesome!" Harry's expletive alone should have told Severus that considering the offer was completely ridiculous and that he should tell Harry no. Yet, when Harry left his home later, Severus had still not turned Harry down.

 

******

 

A cooling charm and a spell that would imitate the effects of strong sunscreen in place, Severus ventured outside. He didn't know what was making him leave the house, really, but the need to go out was overwhelming. And should he accidentally stumble across Harry, it wouldn't make the day any worse. Which was why Severus, completely by accident (as he told himself), walked past the beach Harry had raved about the day before.

Sure enough, Harry was easy to spot on the beach. He'd put up a parasol and he was stretched out on a towel, but his legs were lying in the sun. Even from his position, Severus could see that the one year had done Harry a world of good. Severus had been wrong in finding Harry runty, still. Because while still slightly below the average height, Harry looked grown up. His arms and legs showed that he was still practising Quidditch – he was firm, though not overly muscled. His skin, already golden, was shimmering with suntan lotion, as were the hairs on his stomach, leading down to the very tightly fitting square leg suits. Severus swallowed, but got his act together and approached Harry.

He had to clear his throat for Harry to crack his eyes open and couldn't keep himself from commenting: "If I can come up to you this easily without your hand even twitching for your wand, how do you think you'll survive for much longer?"

Harry started grinning. "Hallo to you, too."

Severus sniffed. "Hallo."

"I don't often see you on the beach."

"I don't care for it particularly." It was all that sand, the sweating and, well, stupid people being entirely too close. One only had to look around to find at least twenty of those.

"Yet you are here." Harry prepped himself up on his elbows and blinked at Severus with growing curiosity.

Severus crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I accept your invitation to dinner," he grounded out. "You can pick me up at half past seven. We will dine at McBride's Tavern." Trust Harry to answer that with a sunbeam grin.

 

******

 

They ended up back at Severus' house, out on the patio that offered a nice view over the cliffs. The summer evening air was still warm, even here by the sea, and the smell of the ocean and the herbs in Severus ' garden filled their noses. Severus handed Harry a snifter of brandy, then sat down next to him and looked up at the sky that was more dark blue than purple by now.

"Thank you for dinner," Severus said and sipped his brandy, let it roll over his tongue and then slide gently down his throat. He pretended not to notice that their hands were still touching, brushing against each other ever so often, just like they had on their way back here.

Severus cursed himself and the alcohol coursing through his system for making him feel this way, Cursed Harry for softening up him up throughout the last two years. Had this been his agenda all along? To make Severus like him?

The pressure on his hand and the warmth that came from Harry's hand told him that he had asked this out loud. He felt heat creep up his face and opened his mouth to say something, only to close it immediately. What was there to say?

"Severus?" Harry said. Nothing followed that, so Severus slowly turned his head to see what was going on. Harry was smiling shyly. "I like you. I really like you and I would love to see where this could go."

Severus swallowed. When he'd agreed to have dinner with Harry, he hadn't expected this. Sure, he'd thought about Harry, but he hadn't dared to hope… He blinked up, surprised at himself. He'd never actually dared to admit even to himself that he wanted more than summer visits and those blasted letters from Harry. More than occasionally seeing him for tea and definitely more than just one dinner. Should he really allow himself to –

Harry took that decision from him as he put his brandy away, leaned in and captured Severus' lips in a kiss. Merlin, he hadn't expected Harry to taste this sweet, this addictive. Severus moaned into the kiss and pulled Harry into his lap. To hell with rationality. He'd wanted a good life and now he would finally get it.


End file.
